“Remember that Time at Supper”
(Matthew 26:26-35)
Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
October 18, 2020
The Passage
Matthew 26:26-35
26 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
33 Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.”
34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
35 “Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing.
Introductory Comments:
Last week we learned that the disciples and Jesus were sharing the Passover meal together as Jesus predicted that one of them would betray Him. We found out that the betrayer is Judas.
Well, in today’s passage, the disciples are sharing the Passover meal with Jesus and He predicts that they will all abandon Him. I promise you that this is not the same sermon from last week. Something different is going on here.
From this passage, we learn about one of the fundamental practices for worship in the Church. In this passage, we learn about the ordinance known as the Lord’s Supper.
Let’s look at this passage together and learn what God has for us. Before we do, let’s go to God in prayer.
(prayer)
Later in the service, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Before we do, I want us to properly understand the origins of this beautiful ordinance and what it means for us as the Church today.
By the time we conclude, we’ll discover two important looks that emerge from the Lord’s Supper. Before we do that, I want us to sort of take a walk through the passage and highlight some important truths in these verses.
A walk through the passage: [on screen]
As we begin to walk through the passage, let’s look at it together. Look at Matthew 26:26-35:
26 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
33 Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.”
34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
35 “Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing.
Remember, Jesus and His apostles are still eating the Passover meal. As they are eating the meal, Jesus teaches them something using the bread and the wine as illustrations. Not only does He teach them something, but He commands them to commemorate what He is teaching them from now on.
So, let’s talk about this for a few minutes.
First, Jesus uses the breaking of the bread [show picture on screen] to teach them and remind them about His body that will be broken at the crucifixion.
In just a few weeks, we will see what Matthew wrote about the horrible death that Jesus would suffer as His body is broken at the crucifixion.
When we say that His body is broken, we mean that He suffered terrible pain and physical damage to His body.
When Jesus broke the bread, it was a visual illustration that He would suffer tremendously at the crucifixion.
Also, Jesus uses a cup of wine [show picture on screen] to teach them and remind them about His blood being spilled during the crucifixion.
Of course, much wine is red and could easily be recognized as an illustration for blood.
You might wonder why blood had to be spilled by Jesus. Well, the Bible clearly teaches, from the very beginning, that sin must be paid for with death. The writer of Hebrews reminds us of this truth in Hebrews 9:22. He says, “ . . . without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” [on screen]
When Jesus points to the wine, He is reminding His disciples that blood has to be spilled to pay for sins and this time it will be His blood that is spilled.
We call this an ordinance of the Church because elsewhere Jesus commanded His followers to do this; He ordained it.
It’s important that we understand what this ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is and what this is not.
First of all, this is an illustration from Jesus. Jesus does not mean that the wine is literally His blood and the bread is literally His body.
Obviously, Jesus is still seated there with them. His body is still there and His blood is still in His body. The wine was wine and the bread was bread. However, they were important illustrations and signs of what would happen to Jesus.
In the same way, the bread today is still bread and the wine or grape juice is still wine or grape juice. These are illustrations and signs.
In the same manner, Jesus also said elsewhere that He was living water. That doesn’t mean that water is Jesus. The Bible also calls Jesus the Lamb of God and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. That doesn’t mean Jesus is an animal. Jesus is also referred to as a cornerstone and a rock, but that doesn’t mean stones turn into Jesus. You get the point. This is an illustration.
The Roman Catholic Church and others differ with us on the meaning of this. The Roman Catholic Church believes in the doctrine of transubstantiation. That is to say, they believe that the substance of the bread and wine is changed, or transformed, into the actual body and blood of Jesus. Likewise, Martin Luther, one of the early Protestant Reformers of the Church believed in consubstantiation, that the bread and wine is not the literal blood and body of Jesus, but that the actual body and blood of Jesus is with the bread and wine. Well, we don’t hold to either of those views. We believe that the bread and wine or juice represent the broken body and spilled blood of Jesus. It is an important illustration and a memorial, or something that causes us to remember the work of Jesus through the crucifixion.
Further, we use just a sip of grape juice and a small stale cracker. It’s completely ok that we do this because, again, it’s an illustration. The stale cracker is similar to the unleavened bread and the grape juice is similar to red wine and they remind us of the body and blood of Jesus.
Further in the passage, Matthew records here the moment that Jesus said that all of the disciples would abandon Him. Jesus said in verse 31, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”
Jesus is quoting a prophecy from Zechariah 13:7, which says:
Sword, awake against my shepherd,
against the man who is my associate—
this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
I will turn my hand against the little ones. [on screen]
Matthew is pointing out to us that prophecy is still being fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus.
Well, Peter and the other disciples all declare to Jesus that they will never deny Jesus.
In last week’s passage, they had just gone through the experience of Jesus saying that one of them would betray Him and each wondered if he was the one. Now, Jesus says they will all fall away from Him!
Peter leads the charge by saying that he will never fall away. He is really faithful to Jesus! Yet, Jesus says that before the end of the night, Peter will deny Him three times.
Peter can’t believe it and says that he will die before he denies Jesus. All the other disciples agree, but Jesus knows the truth. Peter will deny Him three times and the other disciples will abandon Him in His greatest moment of need. His time is almost here and these things will come to pass.
Well, these are some of the details that we see as we walk through these verses.
Let us now capture two particular looks that we are to take at the Lord’s Supper.
First, . . .
I. The Lord’s Supper causes us to look backward. [on screen]
Quite simply, as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we remember the work of Jesus. Jesus said in the other Gospel accounts about this moment, “When you do this, do this in remembrance of me.” So, we are to look backward at the Lord’s Supper.
Well, what do we remember? Again, it’s simple. The bread reminds us of the broken body and the cup reminds us of the spilled blood of Jesus. We remember the crucifixion of Jesus for the payment of our sins.
Further, we also remember the betrayal, the arrest, the abandonment, the sham of a trial, the beatings, and all the horrible events that Jesus went through. Church, as we take the Lord’s Supper, we remember the death of Jesus as we look backward.
Additionally, we look backward in order to remember the resurrection of Jesus.
We not only remember the death of Jesus; we also remember that Jesus didn’t stay dead! Jesus rose from the dead! Jesus rose to new life!
When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we look backward to remember the powerful resurrection of Jesus.
We should also pay special attention to verse 28. Jesus says, “This is my blood of the covenant.”
When we take the Lord’s Supper we remember that Jesus instituted a new covenant by the shedding of His blood on the cross.
There are some similarities with the old covenant between God and the people of Israel, and the new covenant instituted by Jesus’ work on the cross:
The old covenant was instituted with sacrifice and shedding of blood. The new covenant was also instituted with sacrifice and shedding of blood.
The shedding of blood in the old covenant paid for the guilt of sin. So also, the shedding of Jesus’ blood in the new covenant paid for the guilt of sin.
The old covenant was initiated by God, as was the new covenant.
The old covenant set apart God’s people in a special way. So also, the new covenant set apart God’s people in a special way.
There are also some differences between the old covenant and the new covenant.
The old covenant applied only to the descendants of Israel. The new covenant applies to anyone who will call upon the name of Jesus Christ!
In the old covenant people needed to go to God through a priest. In the new covenant, the work of the Great High Priest, Jesus, has made it possible for us to go directly to God!
The old covenant required many sacrifices. The new covenant required one sacrifice for all!
The old covenant highlights the depth of our sin and shows us our need for a Savior. The new covenant highlights the work of the Savior and sets us free from sin!
The old covenant is accompanied by an earthly temple. The new covenant points to a future heavenly temple.
The old covenant is temporary. The new covenant is eternal!
When we take the Supper, we remember the work of Jesus on the cross and we remember the new covenant instituted by Jesus.
The Lord’s Supper causes us to look backward.
Also, . . .
II. The Lord’s Supper causes us to look forward. [on screen]
Jesus beautifully said in verse 29, “But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Jesus is pointing us to the fact that He will return and bring us to dwell with Him in God’s kingdom and we will share a meal together with our Savior once again.
The apostle Paul echoes this idea in 1 Corinthians 11:26. He says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” [on screen]
So, when we take the Lord’s Supper, we not only remember the spiritual benefits that became accessible to us as a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection; we also look forward to the countless beautiful treasures that await us when our King returns.
The Lord Jesus has great things planned for your life, both on this earth and especially when He makes all things new upon His return. We look forwardto those realities!
Did you notice in this passage that Jesus speaks to the disciples about hope for their immediate future? He speaks about something that will happen in just a few days and they seem to totally miss it! Let’s make sure that we don’t miss it as well. Look at verse 32. Jesus says, “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” Jesus is pointing them to His resurrection and they don’t even seem to notice!
Even though some will deny Jesus, even though all would abandon Jesus, He still plans to rise from the dead, meet with them once again, restore them to ministry, and use them all for His glory. He had great plans for their future and He has great plans for your future as well. When we take the Lord’s Supper, we look forward to the hope brought by Jesus’ death and resurrection.
More than just a great future for us on this earth, the Lord’s Supper points us to the day that He will return and make all things new!
The Lord’s Supper causes us to look forward.
Concluding Thoughts:
That night at the Passover Supper was a special time for the disciples and it is a special time for all followers of Jesus Christ.
That takes us to our bottom line:
Capture this simple truth:
Bottom Line: The Lord’s Supper highlights the past and future work of Jesus. [on screen]
(repeat)
At the Lord’s Supper, we remember the past work of Jesus and we remember the future work of Jesus.
Weekly Challenge: [on screen]
1. Remember Jesus’ past work. [on screen]
Take some time this week and reflect upon the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
What has Jesus done in your life? Consider the work of Jesus to rescue you from sin and make you new. Remember that and reflect upon that.
2. Remember Jesus’ future work. [on screen]
Remember that Jesus is not done working in your life. No matter your past, He has a great future in store for you.
Remember also that Jesus will return and bring about the fulfillment of all of His promises.
Take some time this week and reflect upon that.
3. Remember to rely on the work of Jesus. [on screen]
Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter denied Jesus, and all the disciples abandoned Jesus because they were doing things their way.
Let us learn that we are not holy and strong by our own strength. We need to rely on the work of Jesus so that we can faithfully follow Jesus.
Closing:
The Lord’s Supper points us to the work of Jesus. What kind of work has Jesus done in your life?
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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